How Does The Epidemic Affect Agricultural Production and Food Safety?

In this file titled “How Does The Epidemic Affect Agricultural Production and Food Safety?”, we discuss the effects of the epidemic on the agriculture and food sector, the measures taken and the solution suggestions of knowledgeable and experienced experts and organizations. 

The coronavirus outbreak reminded us that the health of all living things is interconnected and integrated. COVID-19, which was initially seen as a global health problem, is now being discussed more with its economic, social and political dimensions. Because we experience the effects of the epidemic in all sectors.

Considering that it will be possible to maintain our wellbeing with healthy nutrition, the importance of food safety increases even more in the days of Corona. So how does the coronavirus outbreak affect global agriculture and food? Why do we hear the words food scarcity and food crisis more often?

The Global Food Crises Network which also includes the World Food and Agriculture Organization, has announced in its 2020 report (2020 yılı raporunda) last week that 135 million people in 55 countries are at a crisis level or worse in terms of food security, and that there may be more serious problems with the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak. In summary, the report (Rapor) highlights (dikkat çekiyor) the food crisis that will occur if the necessary measures will not be taken against the coronavirus epidemic and its impact on the vulnerable groups at global level. FAO states that countries should also take extra care to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on food trade and markets (gıda ticareti ve piyasalar üzerindeki etkilerinin hafifletilmesine) to reduce their impact on food supply, global food trade and food security.

Official authorities in Turkey state that there will be no risk of food crisis due to coronavirus and that the necessary measures have been taken to reduce the negative effects of the epidemic on agriculture and food. Among the Measures Taken Within the Scope of Combating Coronavirus Pandemic (Koronavirüs Pandemisi ile Mücadele Kapsamında Alınan Tedbirler), there are the effects of the epidemic on agriculture and animal husbandry, health measures for seasonal agricultural workers, the course of agricultural production and ensuring food supply security production and food supply security as well as providing land for farmers who are suitable for treasury and production for free. 

In this file titled “How Does The Epidemic Affect Agricultural Production and Food Safety?” we discuss the effects of the epidemic on the agriculture and food sector, the measures taken and the solution suggestions of experts and organizations with knowledge and experience.

What problems can the COVID-19 outbreak cause in the food production and among the supply chain? Can the epidemic cause a food crisis? What policies do decision-makers implement in the fight against the epidemic? What more can be done?

Are there examples of good practices in local governments and social enterprises? How does preventing food waste, food recycling and food banking contribute to agricultural production and food safety? Could the COVID-19 outbreak be an opportunity to create a system transformation?

In this file where we will seek answers to these questions and more, we include the opinions of experts and non-governmental organizations. We also review the examples of good practices of some local governments such as Tunceli Municipality who produce agricultural products, and social enterprises such as Fazla Gıda.

In the first article, we’ve talked to three different experts about the risks of coronavirus on agriculture and food and about the solution suggestions: Civil Society Development Center Founding Member and former Board Chairman and Nature Conservation Center Board Member Sunay Demircan, Anadolu Meraları co-founder Durukan Dudu and Buket Atlı from Clean Future Association.

Sunay Demircan: The Uncertainty Caused by The Coronavirus Increases The Risk of Food Deficiency

Will COVID-19 cause a food crisis?

In fact, without Coronavirus, the world would not have a risk of having any food crises by 2020. World Food and Agriculture Organization made a statement in March and said, “As of now, there is enough food for everyone, there is no need to panic.” However, it continued as follows: “But, we expect disruptions in food supply chains on April and May. Movement constraints can withold farmers and food businesses from food production jobs. Lack of fertilizers, veterinary medicines and other inputs can affect agricultural production…”

Now April has arrived and the situation is slowly changing. Why is that? Because uncertainty has increased the risks among all areas. Since people could not predict how long this isolation will last, they began stocking up for the future starting from their most basic needs,. The main requirement is food. In this case, even countries with sufficient food stocks have sought ways to strengthen their stocks. Countries that export cereals preferred to keep their products such as rice, wheat and corn to themselves. Likewise, the situation is the same in red meat and poultry. This led to a sudden risk of causing a global food shortage.

Another issue is the wheat harvest that will begin in the coming months, there is no problem here, but vegetables such as rice, corn and soy are newly planted. The chemicals (fertilizers and pesticides) used to grow these products come from outside, and some of them are of Chinese origin.

 “A Period In Which The World Should Be Considered As One”

Will the disruptions in the supply chain hinder the production of these products?

We do not know. Some of these products are manufactured labor-intensive and seasonal worker use is very busy among them. How will the labor force be managed in agriculture with this isolation program? We don’t know yet. But at least we can say that Turkey is assumed to have enough grain stocks for 2020. Until the 31st of May, customs duties on imports for basic products such as wheat and rice have been reset. So more product will be stocked and I do not think there will be serious problems. We do not know because the season has not started in vegetables yet.

However, there are problems concerning Africa on a global scale. There is already a population density living at starvation line. What will happen to Africa now? The World Bank says: “COVID-19 crisis has the potential to ignite the food security crisis in Africa. Food imports will drop significantly due to higher transaction costs and reduced domestic demand (13% to 25%).” How will the food need be met in Africa if there will be no imports and no one will care about Africa’s stocks? The hunger there already fuels the existing internal conflicts and promotes continental and extraterrestrial migration and with the help of malnutrition and thirst the possibilities to fight against infectious diseases decrease, and many factors that trigger each other grow hand in hand with each other.

At a time when we need to remember that we have to think of the world as one, I am afraid that we will again become preoccupied with our own troubles, otherize the ones that are not one of us and continue to dig our own graves within our vicious circles. Where will this end? I think we will dig until we find water at the bottom of the well, and we will be surprised when the water comes out. I don’t know, nobody really knows that. I think the world has never experienced such a period where everyone thinks that they can manage this much information but realize that no one knows anything including themselves. I hope we can learn a lesson from this.

Durukan Dudu: “COVID-19 Is An Opportunity to Build an Agriculture and Food System”

How will coronavirus affect agricultural production? Do you foresee a food crisis? Why?

The food comes to our table in roughly 3 stages: the production stage, our access to food and eventually the pricing phase. We may not be able to observe the effects of the climate crisis at once, but the epidemic affects the food supply system suddenly. The problem created by the coronavirus is this: the uncertainty experienced in the production and logistics part will create supply-demand shocks and other big problems.

Since agriculture needs a lot of inputs, the expensive or inaccessible inputs will cause food crisis. The current conventional agricultural system is dependent on fertilizers, seeds and pesticides. Producers cannot produce without these. Supply problem will increase the risk of this system crashing. Manufacturers are also aware of this. Due to uncertainty, manufacturers are currently undecided. The next 2-3 weeks are very important as production must be done at certain times in agriculture. With the uncertainty created by the coronavirus, producers will either cease production or will decide to produce under the direction of the local administrations. It is very important for the state to lead them right as a decision maker. In addition to these problems in the production section, there are also problems in the supply section. When the supply chain breaks, we can face situations such as emptying of market shelves and increasing prices.

 “The Epidemic Is A Rehearsal Of What Will Happen During Climate Crisis”

What is your solution suggestion?

Coronavirus is a rehearsal of what we will live through the climate crisis. These are the days that can be the most influential for those like us who want to create a system transformation. These times provide us with a great opportunity to transform the existing food and agriculture system as a country and the world. We must definitely take advantage of this. Otherwise, we will face other problems tomorrow, and most importantly, the climate crisis will cause even more severe problems. The current agricultural system has a very fragile structure, moreover, due to the long supply chain before the food entering the production stage, a lot of waste occurs. This creates inefficiency in food. Tomorrow’s food system must at least be resistant to such crises.

Actually, solutions are ready, let’s take this opportunity. Like many people who recommend food to be reparative and ecological, we recommend holistic management and restorative agriculture as Anadolu Meraları. Political will and central and local governments should take these solutions and implement them correctly. One way to solve this may be the food communities. This system will get stronger if you commit to buy every product a manufacturer will produce within a plan. This is the only way to make plans in agriculture.

“We Can Build a Far More Resistant, Economic and Ecological Agriculture and Food System”

What can we do in the short term during the corona days as citizens?

At this level, the main thing to be done is to eliminate the uncertainty. If you can, I suggest planting. You can do urban gardening and balcony gardening at micro level. If we look at it at a more macro level, inputs such as feed and fertilizers can be imported and stored to secure the food supply and supply chain after 3 months in the short term if necessary. I am against fertilizer farming but it can be used as a one-time band-aid solution to save the day.

Food supply networks can be established. By eliminating the distance between the producer and the consumer, local governments should play a role in facilitating food communities at the local level, in the food chain at each city and district level.

Are you open to collaboration?

Of course, those who wish can reach us. Formations like Anadolu Meraları and ourselves have been preparing for these scenarios for 20 years. This is nothing new to us. We have a very clear accumulation about what to do concretely. I would like these to be evaluated by political will, because we can establish an agriculture and food system that is much more resistant, economically prosperous and that guarantees our future ecologically. This is what we call “restorative agriculture”, a system that saves both today and tomorrow. We can concretely demonstrate systems that strengthen both the economy and ecology. Anyone can reach us (herkes). We continue all our activities during Corona days by increasing them further.

Buket Atlı: “Its Just The Right Time to Say New Things for a Clean Future”

The General Secretary of the Clean Future Association Buket Atlı shared her evaluations regarding the possibility of agriculture and food crisis due to coronavirus.

Atlı makes an observation as follows: “We face the risk of food safety, water shortage, unemployment and poverty which have come to the fore as major problems in recent years in Turkey causing even greater damage to society due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is possible to explain the problem on food under two titles: production of food and access to produced food. In April and May, which is the time of planting seedlings in the fields, a decrease in food production is expected due to the inability of workers to work together and the travel restrictions to be made within the scope of combating Corona virus.”

Describing the high probability of experiencing difficulties in food production in 2020, Atlı reminds that seasonal agricultural workers (mevsimlik tarım işçileri) who continue to work in the fields are facing major health risks in some provinces by working without any protective equipment and working under unhygienic conditions.

Buket Atlı notes that the fact that big cities being dependent outside the city in terms of food can make millions of people encounter food safety problems and says that in order to prevent the food problem, “agriculture and livestock practices that improve the soil and increase the amount of organic matter” should be adopted instead of chemical fertilizers. Stating that it would be possible to both reduce costs and increase the productivity thanks to the sustainable and restorative agriculture practice also adopted by Anadolu Meraları, Atlı reminds that it would also be possible to provide everyone with access to cheap and nutritious food by cooperation with municipalities, citizens and NGOs especially in the cities.

Finally, Buket Atlı says that there are enough examples in the world and in our country of city vegetable gardens, permaculture, non-poisonous and restorative agriculture and says “Now it is the time to try new things and to increase these examples for a clean future.”

Effects of Coronavirus That Increase Poverty and Derange Health

Another important point that Buket Atlı draws attention to is the negative effects of coronavirus on health by increasing poverty. Recalling Oxfam’s Dignity Not Destitution report, (Oxfam’ın “Yoksulluk Değil, Onurlu Bir Yaşam” ) she says that due to the effects of the coronavirus epidemic on the economy, half a billion people will have to struggle against poverty, and this will increase urban poverty in times of need for a strong immune system, making it difficult to access food that would provide adequate and balanced nutrition for low-income families and thus will lead to Corona and similar diseases.